The Dominion Key (13 page)

“We have to find Dr. Fleming!” I stood from my chair. “We have to warn him!”

The four of us bolted out of Alumni Hall and down the stairs. Most of the school was at dinner and the hallways were nearly empty. On the second floor, we ran past the portrait of Herman Alabaster. His eyes seemed to follow us. His expression was grim, as if he already knew something bad was headed our way.

I remembered the last time I’d been this close to Herman Alabaster’s painting. The shuffling in the stone walls. The rattling frame. But this was no time to think about ghosts. We had other things to worry about.

“Fleming might be in his classroom,” Milton suggested.

“It’s worth a shot,” Sophie said.

But when we got there, the door to Fleming’s classroom was locked. A sign on the door read:

Milton gulped. “Maybe we should try somewhere else.”

Peering through the slim window in the door, Miranda said, “He’s not there anyway.”

Over the sound of my friends’ voices, I heard footsteps. I turned, hoping to see Dr. Fleming. Instead, Principal Alabaster was walking our way. He tugged at his bow tie, considering us with a kindly smile.

“Looking for someone?” he said.

“Do you know where we can find Dr. Fleming?” I asked.

“What’s this about?”

I hesitated, trying to think of an explanation that
wouldn’t
risk revealing our true identities or the real reason why we’d come to the school.

I was still struggling to come up with something when Milton spoke. “Extra credit,” he blurted out. “Dr. Fleming assigned us extra credit and it’s … uh … due tomorrow. We had a couple of questions. Do you know where he is?”

“You might want to check his office,” the principal said. “It’s on the fourth floor. Take a right at the top of the staircase. Past the hologram chamber. Through the tropical greenhouse. When you see a stuffed Siberian tiger, take a
left. Or is it a
right
?” Principal Alabaster stroked his silver beard. “Now that I think about it, the tiger might not even be
Siberian
. Perhaps it’s albino?”

“Uh, Principal Alabaster …,” Sophie began.

The principal’s gray eyes flashed. “On second thought, I have another solution.”

He brought his hands together, concentrating. And when he pulled them apart, a portal appeared. IGF—that was the name for his power to unzip the universe.
Interspatial gateway something-​that-​starts-​with-​
F. Fluctuation? Fabrication? It didn’t matter at the moment. Because now there was a shimmering opening in front of us.

What I saw on the other side of the portal made me stagger back a step. A snarling white tiger with massive teeth and ultrasharp claws.

“Not to worry.” Principal Alabaster reached through the portal and tapped the perfectly still tiger on its nose. “Like I said, it’s a
stuffed
Siberian tiger. Or is it an albino?”

The principal was still puzzling over this when the four of us stepped cautiously through the IGF opening. Just like the last time, it felt like nothing at all. Like walking through a door.

“Say hello to Nigel for me!” Principal Alabaster cheerily called. He pulled his hands together and the portal closed.

And just like that—we were in the hallway, on the fourth floor, standing next to a huge stuffed tiger.

“That way!” Miranda pointed.

We followed her past a few other rooms before reaching
a door with Dr. Fleming’s name on it. Miranda was about to knock when something made her pause.

An explosion.

The sudden boom came from inside the office, a rumble that shook the door.

“What was that?” Sophie turned my way. Worry strained her expression. A faint glow radiated at the edge of her eyes. “What if we’re too late? What if Vex got to him first?”

She gasped when the door swung open. On the other side was Dr. Fleming. He didn’t look hurt. Although he
was
covered in brown and purple globs of something that looked like …

Peanut butter and jelly?

Running a finger along his forehead, he wiped off a smudge of the gooey substance, then stuck his finger in his mouth. He seemed to notice us for the first time. “Ah, hello, kids. Glad you’re here. Allow me to pose a question—”

“Actually,” Miranda began, “we came to talk to you about something. Something important.”

Dr. Fleming ignored her urgent tone. “What do you think of when you see a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

“Uh … lunch?” Milton said.

“Precisely! An innocuous meal to satisfy your cravings!”

“Dr. Fleming!” Miranda said in a louder voice. “We just heard something explode inside your office. What
was
that?”

“I’ll show you,” Dr. Fleming replied. “Come inside! Quickly!”

He spun around and rushed back into his office. The four of us stood at the edge of his door, trying to make sense of what we’d just witnessed. Finally, Milton shrugged and stumbled inside. Miranda, Sophie, and I followed.

Dr. Fleming’s office would’ve been a mess even if it
weren’t
covered in sticky globs of peanut butter and jelly. Bookshelves were overflowing. The floor was crammed with boxes of materials that looked highly dangerous. His desk was covered with discarded circuit boards, tangles of wire, and scraps of paper.

And on top of everything, a fresh layer of peanut butter and jelly. Yum.

Dr. Fleming grabbed a wet rag from a rusted sink and wiped down four chairs.

“Have a seat,” he said.

I cautiously stepped over a crate that was filled with dynamite and PB&J. My friends and I settled into our chairs as Dr. Fleming began to explain.

“I wanted to devise an explosive apparatus that wouldn’t raise suspicions. Something ordinary, plain, unthreatening. And what’s more ordinary, plain, and unthreatening than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” He opened a drawer in his desk and removed a sealed plastic bag. Inside was a PB&J sandwich. “As you see, this object has the look, weight, and texture of a common sandwich. However, unsealing the plastic bag activates a timed detonation. It’s much like a grenade. Except … well, much more delicious.”

He scooped a glob of peanut butter off his elbow and
licked it. With a nod of approval, Dr. Fleming grabbed three more sandwich bags and handed one to each of us.

“Here. Take these. Try them out. Let me know what you think.”

“Uh … thanks?” Sophie was holding the bag as far from her as possible.

“Not to worry. It’s nonlethal. At worst, your victim will need a long shower and a fresh set of clothing. Nevertheless, it can be quite useful if you’re in a jam.” Dr. Fleming chuckled. “Get it?
Jam?
”

Nobody else laughed.

Cautiously placing the sandwich in my backpack, I said, “Dr. Fleming, there’s something important we need to talk to you about.” I lowered my voice. “The Dominion Key. We think someone’s about to steal it.”

All of a sudden, Dr. Fleming’s carefree smile vanished. He turned in his chair and gazed toward the window. The storm outside had worsened. Rain pounded the glass. I wasn’t sure if it was the gray light streaming through the window or the shift in his mood, but Dr. Fleming’s face looked as pale as ice.

“What do you know about the Dominion Key?” he asked.

Taking a deep breath, I launched into the story. I was careful to avoid the part about my parents being the Dread Duo, how we’d arrived here in Captain Justice’s reality-TV tour bus, and my friends and I being enrolled under fake identities … you know, minor details like that.

I carefully moved the sandwich in my backpack and pulled out the slip of paper that we’d gotten off nFinity.
Passing it across the desk I said, “We were hoping maybe you’d know what someone could do with all this stuff.”

Dr. Fleming turned away from the window. When his eyes landed on the list, his expression became even more grave.

“Platinum-Sealed Alpha Capacitor, Neutron Flow Reversal Chamber, Oscillating Particle Immobilizer, the Dominion Key …” Dr. Fleming’s eyes rose until he was staring right at me. “Anyone who brings together these items will be able to rule the earth.”

All of a sudden, my school tie felt like a noose.

“Each of the items on your list is extremely rare,” Dr. Fleming said. “On their own, they pose no threat. But when they’re brought together, they create the most powerful weapon on earth.”

“What kind of weapon?” Sophie asked.

Dr. Fleming glanced back to the window, at the pouring rain and flashes of lightning. “It’s known simply as The Device. When triggered, The Device emits a potent wave of synthetic particulate matter that manipulates human tissue at the cellular level.”

“Uh …” Milton’s eyes looked liked they’d glazed over somewhere in the middle of the last sentence. “What exactly does that mean?”

“The Device brings people under its control,” Miranda said. “It can—”

“Turn all of humanity into slaves,” Dr. Fleming finished. “Brainless drones forced to do the bidding of a single master.”

“Let me see if I’ve got this straight. This thing—this … Device—is possible if someone brings together these four items?” Sophie pointed at nFinity’s list.

“I’m afraid so,” Dr. Fleming replied.

“Which means there’s only one thing standing between Phineas Vex and world domination.”

“The Dominion Key,” I whispered.

“I know you’re into cool weapons and exploding sandwiches,” Milton began, “but why would you build the Dominion Key if you knew it could cause so much mayhem?”

“When I learned of The Device, I knew if the Dominion Key fell into the wrong hands, it would spell the end of civilization as we know it. A disaster for humankind. And my invention was essential. The most important piece of the puzzle.”

“Please tell me you destroyed it,” Sophie said.

Dr. Fleming hunched forward, shaking his head slowly. “I knew I should have. And yet … it was my legacy. The product of a decade’s research. Tireless work. The thing I shall be remembered for. I couldn’t bring myself to destroy it. So instead, I hid it.”

“Where?”

“Far from Alabaster. A place only I know about, where it’ll be safe.”

“It won’t be safe for long.” Miranda’s tone was grave.
“And neither will you. Not if Phineas Vex and his henchmen come looking for you.”

“There’ve been three robberies in the past three days,” Sophie said. “Always at night.”

I glanced toward the window. The last glimmer of gray light was fading outside.

“In that case, we don’t have much time,” I said. “We’ve gotta warn Principal Alabaster. If Grifter and Lunk show up, they’ll tear this place apart.”

“Very well,” Dr. Fleming said. “But before we go, allow me to grab a few things.”

He reached under his desk and pulled out a briefcase. With a sharp
click
, he unlatched the case. Then he turned it upside down. Folders and pens and student quizzes spilled out across his desk. I noticed my quiz near the top of the pile.
C–
was written in bold red ink at the top of the page. Maybe if we saved Dr. Fleming’s life he’d raise it to a B.

Once his briefcase was empty, Dr. Fleming began filling it with other objects. Sticks of dynamite, time bombs, detonator switches.

The teacher glanced up at us. “Couldn’t hurt to have a bit of protection, don’t you think?”

When it was full, he lifted a magnet from the side of his filing cabinet. Underneath the magnet was a photograph. A picture of a log cabin surrounded by trees.

Milton pointed at the photo. “What kind of weapon is
that
?”

“It’s not a weapon.” Dr. Fleming slipped the photo into
his pocket. “Nevertheless, I wouldn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands.”

I still had no idea why a picture of a log cabin was such a huge deal, but right now we had bigger concerns. Like finding Principal Alabaster and securing the school. My friends and I stumbled back into the hallway. Fleming joined us a moment later.

“Any idea where we can find Principal Alabaster?” Sophie asked.

“His office would be a fair bet,” said Dr. Fleming. “He’s there most nights. It’s on the third floor. Follow me.”

We set off in the direction we’d come from. We were halfway to the stuffed tiger when a sound stopped us in our tracks.

CRAAASH!

At first, I assumed it was thunder. But a couple of seconds later, another explosion rang out. And this time, I was sure. It had come from
inside
the school.

“Please tell me that’s another one of your experiments,” Milton said to Dr. Fleming.

The teacher swallowed hard. “Afraid not.”

I raced to the nearest window. It was tough to see anything through the storm. Rain fell in sheets. Wind howled past the stone walls. A burst of lightning exploded across the sky. Suddenly, a shape emerged from the darkness: a charcoal-gray boat tied to the dock, pitching up and down on the waves.